The road to the MLS Cup final will run through Ohio as FC Cincinnati host the Columbus Crew in what promises to be the most intense Hell is Real derby of all time on Saturday at TQL Stadium.
A controversial goal last weekend propelled the Supporters' Shield winners to a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Union, while the Crew needed extra time against Orlando City before eventually coming away with a 2-0 triumph.
Match preview
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It was a struggle throughout the 90 minutes for the best regular-season side in MLS, but in the end, a brilliant volley on a borderline offside play sent the Orange and Blue into their first Eastern Conference final.
All year long, this team showed the ability to find an extra gear against the most stubborn defensive units, winning by a 1-0 score last Saturday for the 10th time this year across all competitions.
Doing just enough, though, has felt like their motto throughout the campaign, while having an exceptional talent at every position more often than not enables them to get over the finish line.
Pat Noonan's men have a 100% all-time post-season record at TQL Stadium, failing to concede in both of those encounters this year.
With a victory on Saturday, Cincy would become the first Supporters' Shield winners in the Eastern Conference to go to the MLS Cup final since Toronto lifted the trophy in 2017.
The Orange and Blue have claimed a positive result in eight domestic fixtures since the beginning of July when conceding the opening goal, while historically winning both of their playoff contests in which they were behind 1-0.
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Wave after wave of attacks eventually paid off for Columbus last weekend, as they outlasted Orlando to advance to their first conference final since 2020.
A 77th-minute red card by Rodrigo Schlegel provided the Crew with the opening they needed in extra time, with the highest-scoring team during the regular season having now netted multiple goals in five successive domestic affairs.
Wilfried Nancy loves to push the pace of a game, traditionally operating with a pair of wing-backs high up the field with two number 10s supporting their central striker.
That approach has given them plenty of openings in the attacking third, as Nancy seems to have unlocked another dimension to this squad, which was non-existent over the previous two campaigns.
Selling their leading goalscorer over the previous two MLS seasons, Lucas Zelarayan, unlocked the scoring potential of this entire square, with 14 different players finding the back of the net during the 2023 regular season.
Columbus won the previous Hell is Real derby this season (3-0) but have never triumphed at TQL Stadium, losing their last visit to Cincinnati, 3-2 earlier this year.
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Team News
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The 2023 MLS Defender of the Year Matt Miazga was suspended by the league for the remainder of the post-season earlier this week, a big blow to the Cincinnati lineup
Obinna Nwobodo and Santiago Arias are both questionable with leg injuries, while Nick Hagglund is unlikely to play because of a hamstring strain.
Earlier this week, Luciano Acosta was named the MLS MVP, while it was Yerson Mosquera who sent them into the conference finals with a 94th-minute strike as Roman Celentano collected his second clean sheet of the post-season.
Will Sands is the only player unavailable for the Crew this weekend, with the home-grown midfielder still out with a knee injury.
Cucho Hernandez has four playoff goals this year, including their insurance marker late in the second half of extra time against the Lions, while Christian Ramirez scored for the first time since August 4.
Patrick Schulte collected his first clean sheet of the post-season last Saturday, while he did not concede the previous time his team faced Cincy when Hernandez, Aidan Morris and Jacen Russell-Rowe netted in a comfortable triumph.
FC Cincinnati possible starting lineup:
Celentano; Powell, Mosquera, Murphy; Gaddis, Kubo, Moreno, Barreal; Acosta; Vazquez, Badji
Columbus Crew possible starting lineup:
Schulte; Moreira, Camacho, Amundsen; Farsi, Nagbe, Morris, Yeboah; Ramirez, Hernandez, Rossi
We say: FC Cincinnati 0-2 Columbus Crew
This match could go either way, as Nancy and Noonan are sure to put together an intelligent game plan, while both sides also have plenty of outstanding individual talent capable of producing a moment of magic.
The extended Miazga suspension recently has changed our thoughts as the Crew may have an easier time creating chances and scoring, while it's unclear how much Nwobodo can do following his injury or if he will even feature.
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